Small Group Counseling

Overview: Small group counseling units and sessions address topics related to personal/social, academic and career development. The ultimate goal of small group counseling is to provide students with the opportunity to learn more about and work through such things as interpersonal issues, to develop strategies and skills to positively impact their school achievement and to increase appropriate social interaction skills.

Organization: This section provides steps for planning, implementing, and evaluating small group experiences for students at all levels. Sample documents are included. It is important to modify these documents to meet the needs and policies of your campus.

The following steps will be helpful when organizing for small group work:

STEP 1. Conduct Survey to Assess Small Group Counseling Needs and Identify Potential Group Members. The purpose of a needs assessment is to determine group topics that will benefit students. Two kinds of surveys will help identify group topics:

1.   Teacher/staff surveys to assess their perceptions of student needs

2.   Student surveys to assess perceptions of their needs

STEP 2. Develop Topic-Specific Small Group Counseling Action Plan. The Action Plan includes detailed information concerning the group: description, purpose, rationale, objectives, logistics, risks and safety issues, implementation procedures, and evaluation. The Action Plan puts in writing the subtle considerations of the specific group; the counselor uses the plan to guide development and/or selection of units and sessions. The Action Plan is also an informational document for supervisors and others who may have questions about school-based small group counseling.

STEP 3. Publicize. Disseminate information about the small groups to various audiences (e.g., teachers, administrators, parents, counselors, students, custodians, bus drivers, school nurse). Methods of communication may include daily announcements, flyers, newsletters, personal invitations, e-mails, and/or website postings. Information and forms may also be distributed and completed at faculty meetings, made available in teacher  workroom, faculty lounges, placed in teacher mailboxes, or placed on the campus website.

STEP 4. Conduct Pre-Group Interview/Screening. This process informs the student of the purpose of small group counseling, assesses the student’s readiness and level of interest in group participation and helps determine group membership. Pre-group screening interviews are critical and should be conducted on an individual basis.

The purposes of the group screening process include:

•       Informing students about the group

• Describe the group.

• Tell students what they may gain from being in the group.

• Tell students about group expectations, including participation and confidentiality.

• Inform students of alternatives if they are not selected for the group

•       Gauging students’ level of interest and commitment

• Ask students if they are willing to follow expectations and ground rules.

• Ask students to rate their level of interest.

•       Selecting participants

• Is the student a willing participant?

•  Hypothesize whether the student will be satisfied with

§  Group focus as it relates to personal needs and goals

§  Other members of the group

§  The process of working in a group

STEP 5. Select Group Members. The screening interview leads to the selection of participants. This step aids in predicting the effectiveness of a small group counseling experiences for all members. There may be pressure to select a particular student for a group, however, the decision to involve students in any group is at the discretion of the counselor and should be based on the student’s readiness. Offer other services to students who are not selected.

STEP 6. Obtain Informed Consent. It is ethical professional practice to obtain informed consent for all participants in a group. While parental consent is required for minors, it is expected that counselors obtain student consent as well.

The informed consent step may occur prior to screening interviews. The consent form should provide specific information about the small group so that the student/parent/guardian can make an informed decision about whether or not to participate. Professional school counselors are ethically required to maintain current knowledge about state/national legislation, local school board policy, and the American School Counselor Association.

STEP 7. Collect Pre-Group Data. Planning ahead for data collection is critical. Before the group begins, determine the data to collect.  Data may be objective (e.g., grades, attendance, office referrals) and/or subjective (e.g., observations, parental reports, student interviews).  Data collection allows the counselor to design group sessions based on the needs of group members and also provides information for results-based evaluation.

STEP 8. Conduct Sessions.

STEP 9. Collect Post-Group Data. Post-group data, in conjunction with pre-group data, measures individual and group changes. In order to compare data effectively, it is critical to use identical pre- and post-group data collection criteria and procedures.

STEP 10. Conduct Post-Group Follow-Up. The follow-up session (4-6 weeks later) encourages accountability for goals and allows group members the opportunity to share successes and develop further strategies for working on issues.

STEP 11. Conduct Evaluation. The evaluation may include a comparison of pre- and post- group data, as well as results of the follow-up session and surveys of parent and teacher perceptions of the effectiveness of the group. The counselor may also use the small group counseling action plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the unit. A brief report may be useful when reporting results to stakeholders.